Wire-retrieving attachment for trolley-wheels.



PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907- 7 W. 0. ALTHEN. v WIRE RETRIBVING ATTACHMENT FOR TROLLEY WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1906 m Wm Mm WLTNESSES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. ALTHEN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-SIXTH TO WILLIAM F. MIESSE, ON E-SIXTH TO WILLIAM N. GEARHART, AND ONE- SIXTH TO BENJAMIN F. HIRT, ALL OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5,1907.

Application filed April 2, 1906. Serial NO. 309,247.

To all whom it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM O. ALTHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at C- lumbus, in the county of franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Retrieving Attachments for lrolley-VVheels, of which the following is a sp ecification.

My invention relates to a wire-retrieving attachment for trolley-wheels, and has for its object the provision of a device which normally lies below the trolley-harp, but which is automatically thrown above the trolley harp and trolley-wheel when a pull is applied to the trolley-rope, said retriever comprising a yoke having a wire-guiding portion which is adapted to guide the trolley-wheel back upon the wire.

It is a well-known fact that when a trolley leaves a wire and the trolley-pole springs to an upright position under the influence of the powerful springs carried upon the trolleystand this movement of the trolley-pole, added to the bodily movement of the trolley-pole as it iscarried along by the car, causes great damage to the guy-wires which support the trolley-wire. This damage would be materially increased if any projections were placed upon the front face of the trolley-pole.

It is therefore a further object of the in vention to provide a device of the character described which will he not only beneath the plane of the trolley and guy wires, but will also he entirely in the rear of the trolley pole and harp.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolley-pole and harp having my invention applied thereto, the normal position of the device being illustrated in full lines and its operative position being illustrated in dotted lines; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the attachments comprising the present invention and a portion of the trolley-pole.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a tubular trolley-pole. Secured in this trolley-pole bya pin 6 is a short bar 7, the upper end of which receives the tubular end 8 of a trolley-harp 9. Pins 10 secure the trolley-harp in position upon the bar. A

trolley-wheel 11 is journaled, as at 12, in the trolley-harp. The parts just described are of the usual and well-known construction and need no further description.

Secured upon the bar 7 between the tubular trolley-pole 5 and the tubular end 8 of the trolley-harp in such manner as to form a flush joint at the front face of the pole is a bracket 13, having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined arm 14 and being extended at 15 to form a bifurcated member 16, the arms 17 of which lie upon opposite sides of the trolley-wheel 11 and close thereto. Pivoted upon a pin 18, carried by the arm 15, is an arm 19, forming an integral portion of a yoke 20. The side arms 21 of this yoke are connected at their outer ends by a V-shaped member 22, which is adapted to receive and guide the trolley-wire to the medial line of the structure when the yoke is thrown to the position illustrated in dotted lines in fig. 1. The trolley-rope 23 is secured to an eyelet 24, carried upon the inner end of the arm 19.

The operation of the device is as follows: As long as the trolley-wheel is in engagement with the trolley-wire 26 and the trolley-rope is slackeiled, the weight of the yoke causes it to assume the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1, at which time all of the parts comprising the trolley-retrieving attachment lie in the rear of the trolley pole and harp and some distance below the plane of the guywires which support the trolley-wire. When the trolley-wheel leaves the wire and a pull is given the trolley-rope to bring the trolley down below the wire, the yoke is automatically thrown to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The principal trouble experienced by conductors and trolley-tenders in replacing the wheel upon the wire has been due to the fact that the trolley-pole does not respond readily to the movement given to the rope. The comparatively narrow space presented between the side flanges of the trolley-wheel renders it diflicult to strike the trolley-wire with said trolleywheel. The wide space presented by the V- shaped member 22 renders it easy to catch the trolley-wire, the inclined sides of said V- shaped member guiding the yoke, and consequently the trolley-wheel, into line with the wire. The trolley-rope being then released, the yoke is permitted to move below the trolley-wheel or the trolley-wheel is permitted to move up into engagement with the Wire. The yoke 17 prevents the wire from catching in the under sides of the trolleywheel between the trolley-harp and the yoke 20 and also prevents said wire from catching under the trolley-harp.

The yoke 20 not only serves to guide the trolley-wheel back upon the wire after the V-shaped member 2 has been guided upon the wire, but said yoke will in many instances catch the wire when the wheel slips from said wire and prevent the trolley-pole from springing to a vertical position. If it be desired to have the car come to a standstill until the trolley-wheel has been replaced upon the wire, the pivot-pin 18 may be surrounded by a bushing of insulating material 25 to insulate the yoke 20 from the rest of the structure. The current will not pass to the trolley-pole or to the motor when the yoke is insulated from the rest of the structure in this manner.

While the elements herein shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but ineludes Within its purview such changes as may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a trolley pole and wheel, of a bracket secured to said trolley-pole and lying in the rear thereof, said bracket carrying a bifurcated member, the arms of which lie upon opposite sides of the trolley-wheel, a yoke pivoted in the bracket and having a V-shaped wire-guiding portion, said yoke having an arm which extends be yond its pivotal point and adapted to have a trolley-rope secured thereto.

2. The combination with a trolley pole and wheel, of a yoke pivotally mounted upon the rear side of the trolley-pole, said yoke having a V-shaped wire-guiding portion, an arm carried by said yoke which extends beyond its pivotal point and is adapted to have a trolley-rope secured thereto, and a member having arms which lie upon each side of the trolley-wheel and a depending portion which connects said arms.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. ALTHEN.

Witnesses:

FRANK G, CAMPBELL, A. W. GILL. 

